The Warrior
by Surflilu246
Summary: Taichi Yagami is a warrior, one who is famous for destroying half of Emperor Hidou's evil army. However, Hidou has tracked him down, killed his parents, and kidnapped his sister. Can he save her with the help of some friends? Taiora, Mimato, Takari. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Before I begin this story, I'd like to thank my friend Abby, a wonderful Daisuke roleplayer, for reading this and encouraging me to post it. I'm really excited about this idea. It's something I've never tried before and have always wanted to explore. ****On that note, I hope you all enjoy it! Feedback would be much appreciated.**

**Summary:** Taichi Yagami is a warrior, one who is famous for destroying half of Emperor Hidou's evil army. However, Hidou has tracked him down, killed his parents, and kidnapped his sister. Can he save her with the help of a blonde prince and a red-headed genius? Things quickly turn sour when Taichi discovers his sister isn't the only one in danger, and when a mysterious cloaked fighter has to continually get him out of trouble. Taiora, Mimato. Takari, AU.

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><p>"Come on, come on! We're almost there!" A brunette boy ran through the roads, pushing past other villagers. Some were screaming, some were crying, some were searching desperately for lost family members and friends. Others wandered lifelessly around as each and every house burned. The images of blank fear and hopelessness burned themselves into the boy's brain as he dragged his sister along. "Hurry up, come on!"<p>

"But Taichi, I can't run any longer!" she panted, her legs kicking uselessly at the cobblestone below her.

"Hikari don't think like that! We have to keep moving!" Taichi's chest was heaving up and down, he was ready to give up himself, but he couldn't let her see that. He had to be strong for both of them as they ran through the desperate crowds. His hand was wrapped tightly around hers to make sure she didn't get lost or dragged away. No, she couldn't end up like their parents. He couldn't think about that now.

"Here!" He called, dragging her forward as they neared an alleyway. It was small, perhaps only thick enough for a child to fit into. It was dark though, and it would work perfectly. "Get in."

"But Taichi-"

"Quiet!" He squatted down and put both his hands on her shoulders, pulling her close. "Listen to me, you need to hide! I can't let anything happen to you! I can't lose you as well, you understand!"

With tears forming in the corners of her eyes, she nodded vigorously, obeying her brother's word. She held a small stuffed animal, one she'd saved from her house, and pulled it close to her chest.

"Good." He squeezed her shoulders tightly before letting go and standing up. "Now get in there and don't move until I come back, you got that?"

Hikari silently nodded again, a single tear now sliding down her cheek.

"Be strong for me, yeah?"

"Okay.." The girl's voice was shaky and it tore Taichi to shreds. He couldn't put her in danger though. He knew why _they_ were after his family. Taichi Yagami was one of the best warriors in the nation. He was famous around his parts for his great swordsmanship. For years, he'd used his skill to fight the evil empire, but they were finally hitting him where it hurt: his village. They'd found him.

Taichi took one last look at his sister before turning around and running off. She'd be safe in the alley; no one would even think to look there. Now, he just needed to get back to his house before the entire thing burned to the ground.

As he ran through the crowded roads, he had to push past screaming children and lost mothers. He had to run by piles of burnt wood that used to be elegant houses. He had to pass the school where he'd learned to fight, the school that no longer stood. Taichi gritted his teeth and ran faster, all of this was his fault. They'd come looking for him, and now everyone was in danger.

Taichi reached his house and looked up at it- the entire thing was on fire. The roof was beginning to cave in, but he had to risk it. He grunted loudly as he used his shoulder to break through the door, stumbling into a dark, smoky room. Flames jumped out at him from the walls and made his skin look orange as he searched for what he was looking for, his weapon. It would be in his room, it's normal place.

Taichi dashed over to the stairs and began to climb, only halting once flames shot up through one of the steps above him. He blocked his face with his arms and jumped around them, feeling the wood crumble beneath his feet.

"NO!" He exclaimed, jumping forward just as half the staircase collapsed. His stomach flipped as he felt himself falling, but he reached out with his hand and grabbed the ledge where the stairs used to connect to the second story.

He could feel the heat on him now. Sweat dripped down his back as he lifted himself up, swinging his legs onto the floor. "Oh my god.." He rolled onto his back for a minute to try and catch his breath, which was difficult to do given the flames and the thickness of the air. However, as he looked up, he saw the roof continually burning and sending ash down towards him. "No…"

Taichi jolted up and ran towards his room, pushing open what was left of the door. The flames had gotten there already. His bed was nearly completely turned to ash, along with the majority of his other things. His heart sank a bit, but those material items weren't important. Well, just one was.

Thankfully, the boy's wardrobe was still intact. He ran over to it, hopping over a fallen ceiling beam, and pulled open the doors. Taichi reached his hand in behind his clothes and felt something hard and familiar, something that felt right in his hands.

"Come on.." Taichi muttered, wrapping his fingers around the handle. He pulled his weapon out and held it in front of his face, examining the masterpiece. The sword glittered in the light of the flames, like it was alive and ready for battle. Well, battle it would get.

Another falling piece of the ceiling took Taichi out of his awe and drew a gasp from his chest. "Shit.." He looked up and saw the entire roof begin to crumble. He needed to get out of there, and fast. He jumped back over the fallen ceiling beam, sword in hand, took one final look into his room, and ran out. How was he going to get down, though? The stairs were gone. Desperately, he looked around him as the smoke thickened and the heat intensified. He knew he didn't have much longer. He needed to get out of here.. he needed.. he needed.. His thinking stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an open door. When he'd gone to bed that night, the door had been closed. Now, as he turned to look at it, his heartbeat slowed and the crackling of the flames around him quieted. All the noise stopped, except for the slow pounding of his heart. Taichi swallowed hard as he walked towards it, his parent's room, the room he'd run into as a kid every morning to wake them up. The room he'd run into to see his new baby sister. The room he'd fallen asleep in when he was too scared to sleep on his own. The boy put a hand on the door and ran his palm across the wood. Time slowed as he remembered what happened. The surface was cold and dead, like the bodies inside. Taichi grunted a bit and bit his lip, pressing his forehead against the door, memorizing the room and replaying the memories before they were all burnt to bits. This wasn't fair; he couldn't even save their bodies, he couldn't-

"Taichi."

The boy lifted his head, his heartbeat instantly speeding up. It was _him_, he was sure. No other voice sounded as cruel as his.

"Hidou." Taichi slowly moved his hand from the wood to the doorknob, pulling the door shut. Forever.

"I knew you'd come back." Hidou spat, his voice crawling into Taichi's ears, scratching at his brain.

"Of course I would." Taichi retorted, his knuckles tensing as he held his sword tighter. He spun around to look at the man, hate in his eyes. His final moment with his parents had been ruined, at least for now. Now he could take revenge. When he turned, he saw that Hidou already had his weapon ready. It was a large staff with a metal spike at the end. Sure, he could attack from afar, but as the boy held his own sword, he felt confident, angry.

Hidou was standing in the fighting stance, his strong legs bent and ready, his arms up, his weapon pointed straight at Taichi's nose. His mouth was snarled and his long, black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes though, they were the most frightening aspect of him. His pupils were psychotically small, and his eyes were colored frighteningly dark, so that if the flames weren't flashing off his face, one would be unable to make out the tiny black dots. Hidou stared with them with such anger and bloodlust. In them, Taichi could see the want to kill. He'd seen that same look earlier that night, when he got to his parents. _His parents._

Taichi held his sword out in front of him, his arm strong and unflinching. He took his other hand and doubled his grip, not once taking his eyes off the evil man. The adrenaline was pulsing through his body now, tightening his muscles and quickening his breath. However, for as excited as his body was, he remained oddly calm on the outside. Neurotically calm. The tip of his sword was pointed right between Hidou's demented eyes, Taichi's sights on the kill. "You took my family," he muttered with hate in his voice. "And for that you must _die_."

As the boy narrowed his eyes, Hidou laughed. It echoed throughout the burning house like the laugh of a hyena. Taichi though, didn't budge. He raised his chin and glared at him, his eyes reflecting the heat of the flames as debris and embers fell around him. "Get out of my house before I kill you."

"Tsk tsk, boy." Hidou growled, strengthening the grip on his own weapon. "You know you can't defeat me with the hate running through your veins. You're no match."

"We'll see." Taichi grunted, charging at the man. He swung his sword at him, and his entire body started to shake with rage. Hidou blocked his first move effortlessly and took advantage of the boy's stuttering form. The man's moves were swift and concise, each jab of his staff getting closer and closer to Taichi's gut.

"Come now," Hidou laughed, pulling a move the boy didn't expect. After jabbing one final time, he spun his staff around and knocked Taichi over with the blunt side of it, sending him tumbling towards a thin, cracking wall. Effortlessly, the weight of Taichi's body broke the fiery structure, and the cool outdoor air hit him like a knife. The entire wall of his house fell through, and Taichi was stumbling off the second story floor.

"NO!" He exclaimed, dropping his sword to the ground below so he could grab hold of the floor. He had a decent grip on it, but his legs were dangling down, the wind pushing him back and forth. As he heard footsteps approaching, Taichi made the mistake of looking down. His sword glistening in the grass below, the grass that was two stories below him. The cool night wind blew across his clammy skin as he hung there, waiting for Hidou to approach.

"It's only natural that it would end like this." Hidou cackled, standing so his feet were on either side of Taichi's hand. His knuckles were nearly white now from the effort it took to hold on.

The boy couldn't muster a response; he had to focus his entire energy on hanging there. As he looked up at the man, he couldn't help but notice how terribly evil he looked. The flames behind him cast a wicked orange light over his face, and it made him look even more psychotic than he was. The whites of his eyes even seemed sickly and yellow.

"After all," Hidou continued, picking up one of his feet, "it is your destiny."

As Taichi grimaced and groaned, Hidou pressed his foot down lightly on his fingers, cracking them. "No.." the brunette muttered, trying as hard as he could to resist the urge to cry out in pain. This couldn't be the end, it couldn't be. He had so much left to do. He needed to avenge his parents, he needed to return to his sister, he needed to save his village. The screams from the people down below him were now clearly audible. Some were screaming at the sight of him hanging from the building, others were screaming because the raiders were separating families, others yet were screaming because of the sight of dead friends and burning houses. The entire village was ablaze.

Taichi though, could concentrate on none of that. All he could think about was how badly Hidou's foot felt as it crunched his hand, and how badly it'd hurt to hit the ground- at least until he died. _He could die._ Taichi swallowed hard, putting on his bravest face as he looked back up at his foe. "Even if I die," he stuttered, the pain showing through in his voice, "you'll be defeated. You know there's others out there."

"That may be so.." Hidou narrowed his eyes as he prepared to finish him off, "but at least I've eliminated the warrior who killed half my army." Never had Taichi heard words uttered with such detest, such hatred. Never had he felt so much pain. Hidou's foot was pressing down on his fingers with his full weight now, and he knew he was going to let go. His fingers were slipping; it hurt too much to hold on. He hated how he couldn't bare the pain, he hated how he was letting everyone down, he hated how he promised his sister he'd return for her, when now, he wouldn't.

"AHHHH, GOD DAMNIT!"

The pain was gone. Had he fallen? No, his hand still had a hold of the floor's edge. What the hell happened? Taichi caught his breath and let his vision focus as he tried to figure it out. Hidou was now on the ground, weapon by his side, holding his foot and screaming out. An arrow was through it, but where did it come from? Hidou screamed painfully as he took the arrow in his hand and pulled it out, blood now gushing from the wound. The way the arrow was angled into his foot, it looked like someone had shot it from behind Taichi, but that was impossible- he was hanging off the edge of a building.

Hidou stood up and stared out of the house, past Taichi, and into the woods. He squinted his eyes to see better, and his face turned white. "You've caught a break this time, Yagami.." he muttered, picking up his weapon and backing away, his voice trailing off.

Taichi continued to hang there until he could see no part of Hidou's silhouette through the smoke. In one pained but smooth motion, the boy swung himself back up onto the second floor and collapsed onto the ground, holding his hand in pain. Somehow, he was safe, but who the hell shot that arrow? He looked off into the distance, where Hidou had looked before, and squinted his eyes. The forest was that way- it was filled with tall, thick trees. This time of year it was impossible to see through it, but he didn't need to. Across the road, on the branch of the tree closest to his house, Taichi saw a cloaked figure watching him. In his hand, he held a bow- it must have been the one that arrow came from. Whoever he was, he'd just saved Taichi's life. The boy picked himself up off the ground and looked back, intent on offering a wave of thanks, but by the time he was back on his feet, the cloaked figure was gone. Taichi narrowed his eyes and sighed. Perhaps the cloaked man didn't want to be discovered.

The house shook and tore Taichi away from his daze. The entire place was still on fire, and the boy needed to get out, quickly. As he dashed back towards the stairs, he remembered half of them had already collapsed- how was he going to get down? A steady stream of debris was now falling from the ceiling, some embers hitting Taichi's arm and leaving small burn marks.

The railing of the stairs was still intact; perhaps he could slide down it. The boy ran over to it, taking one last look at his parent's closed door, and pressed down on it with his hand. It was awful shaky, but it was his only way out. Shutting his eyes and uttering some sort of prayer, Taichi hopped up onto it and slid down, trying to hold on the entire way. Once he'd made it halfway, the railing cracked and let the boy fall, but he was closer to the ground now, so it didn't hurt _as_ badly. Still though, it was rough.

Taichi inhaled painfully and sat up on the ground, not having much time to think about his wounds. He jumped to his feet and threw himself out the door, just as the main ceiling beam gave way, sending the entire house to the ground. On his hands and knees, Taichi coughed and exhaled a mixture of air and smoke. His lungs felt like they were collapsing as he watched his house fall- his things, his memories, his parents. _His parents._

They were gone, and this settled it. Nothing was left. Taichi lowered his head for a moment, letting his mind go blank. The pain was too much to deal with now. He would have to mourn later- Hikari was still waiting for him. The boy stood up off the ground and walked over to his sword, grabbing it in his hand. He held it up towards the sky and looked at it, the light of the moon and fire dancing in its reflection. The sword also reflected his face- it was dark, dirty, and angry. So Hidou had some sort of predicted destiny for him, eh? Well, he just decided one of his own. As the boy looked out across the burning village, he decided he would avenge everyone. He would go after Hidou and his army, eliminating them for good. It was final.

He could plan later, though. For now, his heavy footsteps carried him back to the alleyway where he'd left Hikari. He hoped she wasn't worried- he hadn't been gone too long, had he? As Taichi ran, his shoulders heaved up and down. It was difficult to breathe because of the amount of smoke that suffocated his lungs. About every other step, he coughed and needed to slow down, but he couldn't stop. He needed to get back to her. Taichi tightened his grip around his sword as he turned onto the street the alleyway was on.

"Someone help, please!" The boy halted. A shrill voice behind him called out for help. He had no time though, he had to get to his sister. Off in the distance, he could see raiders running past the alley where she hid. It would only be a matter of time until someone noticed the small shaking girl. Taichi looked behind him and quickly regretted it. A girl with long, brown hair was getting dragged away by two men, presumably the enemy. Taichi bit his lip and considered running towards her, but he couldn't. Both raiders and flames were nearing the alleyway now- his sister was his top priority. With guilt sinking in his stomach, making him sick, he turned and abandoned the girl, her scared, helpless face burned into his mind.

He tried desperately to block out her screams as he ran towards the alley. He was so close. Now, with his sword in hand, he could get her and run. They could hide for a while while he found a place for her to stay, then he could avenge his parents. Whatever he did though, he knew he had to keep her safe. She was his only remaining relative, and he _wouldn't_ lose her.

The streets were nearly abandoned now. People who weren't taken or killed had found their way into the forest to hide. The fires were dying down as the majority of the buildings collapsed. Still though, the alleyway stood between two shaking homes. As Taichi reached the alley, he was sure they would go. He had a few seconds, just enough time.

"Hikari!" He breathed heavily, halting in front of the small passageway. "Hikari?" It was empty. Taichi's eyes opened wide in shock as his heart began to beat faster, panic settling in like his lungs were home. "HIKARI?" His screams echoed throughout the once-thriving town, his careful attempt to remain undiscovered completely ruined. He didn't care though, not anymore. With heaving shoulders and shaking arms, Taichi leaned down and picked a small stuffed animal off the ground- the one Hikari had been clutching in her frightened hands before. The boy held it close to his chest, his heart nearly bursting from his rib cage, his cries scratching at his throat as they escaped his mouth. "DAMN IT! NO!"

Taichi took a step back and coughed heavily as one of the buildings next to the alley collapsed, sending smoke and ash his way. His tears stuck heavily to his cheeks, burning his face. Through the smoke though, he could make out a silhouette approaching him. Preparing for the worst, the boy gripped his sword tightly in his hand, prepared to do whatever he needed to whoever it was. His brown eyes were filled with rage- he would stop at nothing to get Hikari back. As the shadow of a young man got closer and closer, Taichi began to make out colors- a poof of red hair, specifically.

"Taichi Yagami?" The stranger uttered, it's voice unshaken by the view of the warrior prepared to kill him. Slowly, the brunette lowered his sword, unsure of why he'd decide to drop his defense.

"Who… who are you?"

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><p><strong>I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Next time, we'll see who the red-haired boy is (although I'm sure many of you already know), <em>and<em> Taichi will run into a _royally_ unhappy blonde. Thanks for reading!**

**-surflilu**


	2. Chapter 2

Taichi lowered his sword to his side, unable to think clearly, unable to fight if he needed to. He had no idea who was headed towards him, but he was about to find out.

"That's of no concern to you right now, but you must leave here. Follow me."

It wasn't much of an answer. Actually, it only worried Taichi more than it satisfied his curiosity. How did he know who he was? Why did he need to leave? He needed to find his sister, that was his first priority! However, as the red-head turned around and began to walk away, Taichi felt like he should follow him. Perhaps he knew something. He shook his head back and forth to get his vision to stop blindly focusing on the disappearing form of the boy before slowly following along behind him.

He tightened his grip around his sword as he followed the mysterious man through the smoke, the heat on his back slowly decreasing as he got closer and closer to the forest. "Where are you going?" Taichi asked, his voice full of forced courage. If this stranger was going to hurt him, he might as well try intimidating him, right?

"You'll soon find out." Was the only response he received. The person he was following didn't even turn around to face him as he spoke. Certainly, this could be a trap, but Taichi kept following along, hoping for some sort of answer, some sort of help, some sort of head-start on finding his sister.

For the rest of the walk, there was only silence. A number of times, Taichi opened his mouth to ask a question, but he became oddly intimidated and shut it right away. His mind was still boggled with thoughts as he walked away from the burned village. For as many people he thought he saw run into hiding in the woods, they were strangely empty, eerily quiet. His footsteps crunched against the ground and echoed off the trees throughout the dark forest.

"Ah, here's far enough." The red-head had suddenly stopped and turned around to face him, although not looking into his eyes. He was staring over his shoulder back towards the village, trying to get a view of the horizon. "The sun is coming up though, so we must speak quickly."

"Okay." Taichi said, a bit flustered. He was more concerned with hearing what the red-head had to say than finding a good answer. The brunette lowered his arm so the tip of his sword grazed the ground, but kept his fingers tight around the handle. "Then talk. Why did you bring me here?"

"Mm." The mysterious man answered, his eyes still locked on where they had just come from. "That's not important." He gestured back towards the village. "The important thing is that you are out of _there_."

"There?" Taichi questioned, his eyes narrowed. "My village? That's where I need to be! There are people there who are relying on me!"

"Ah, there are more people than you realize who rely on you, and you would do them no good if you perished in that fiery mess." The redhead finally locked eyes with Taichi, his dark orbs wise and knowing. The glance took the young warrior's breath away. Taichi felt his chest freeze, as if he was being analyzed by the stranger.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice becoming more defensive. "Why do you say I would have perished? I could have held my own!"

"Don't be rash." The stranger responded, his voice still calm in spite of Taichi's anger. "You would have died and you know it. You are nowhere near ready to face Hidou. If someone hadn't come to your rescue, you would be dead right _now_."

"I wouldn't- Wait." Taichi blinked, suddenly realizing this man might know more than he'd originally thought. "How do you know someone rescued me? Do you know who he is?" That was it. If the red-haired man hadn't pulled him in, his own blasted curiosity certainly had.

"Do I know who _he_ is?" The man laughed. "Why, I certainly do, but like I said before, that is of no concern at the moment. Aren't you more concerned with who _I_ am? We're at our destination, so I was expecting you to ask me again."

"Fine." Taichi replied bluntly, willing to play along with his game for now. "Who are you?"

"My name is Koushirou." The boy kept his eyes on Taichi's, finally letting something close to a smirk of accomplishment come to his face. "I believe I can be of help to you."

"Oh yeah?" Taichi replied, not convinced. "And why do you think that?"

"Because," the boy paused, as if he wasn't sure what type of emotions his answer would raise, "I can help you find your sister."

"My... my sister?" Taichi asked, suddenly remembering what had been his top priority what seemed like a few minutes ago. Guilt came rushing back into his stomach, weighing him down. He couldn't let Koushirou see that though, so he built up his defenses once again. "How do you know I have a sister? How do you know all that's gone on?!"

"I know many things, Yagami." Was the red-heads only response.

The brunette crossed his arms, careful not to let his sword slice his skin as he moved it. "Well, what are you waiting for then? How do I get her back?"

"It's a long and difficult journey, young warrior."

"Oh," Taichi huffed, "Of course it is. It always is. That won't make me want to find her any less, so tell me. Someone could be hurting her, we're running out of time!"

"You won't get her back with a mindset like that." Koushirou said, once again not backing down because of Taichi's rage. "Patience is something necessary, but something highly undervalued. If you don't wait until the right time to strike, you won't make it very far."

"How far are you expecting me to go?!" Taichi exclaimed, his face becoming a bit red because of how flustered he was getting. Couldn't the stranger see that he was in a rush? Did he not know how dearly he cared about his sister? That he would kill _anyone_ blocking his path to get her back?

"How far?" Koushirou repeated, an inquisitive look on his face. "To Wa Se, to be exact."

"Wa Se?!" Taichi exclaimed. "Then there really is no time! That must be hundreds of miles from here! Is that where they brought her?! Is that where Hidou is?! I'll kill him for taking her there! How could he-"

"Taichi!" The red-head shouted, only raising his voice to get his counterparts attention. "Patience, remember. You must have patience. It will take you a long time to get there, but it is not impossible. Your sister will be fine so long as you reach her. They know who she is, but she is not the one they want. They want you, Taichi, and they will do _anything_ to get you."

"Me." Taichi replied, finally letting his sword slip from his fingers. It landed roughly on the ground, causing some dirt to get spit up from the earth. "They took her because of me. They know she's my sister... It's my fault.."

The redhead stared at him, not letting any sort of emotion run across his face as he watched him sort through his grief. "It's not your fault they took her Taichi. If it wasn't for you, she would have been sleeping in her bed when her room caught fire."

The boy grit his teeth before looking up into Koushirou's eyes. "How do you know these things!? Have you been following me?! Stop rattling off things about my life, expecting me to feel better! If it wasn't for me, _nothing_ would have caught fire! Can't you see that this is all my fault?!"

"I see that this was unavoidable." The redhead answered, still not showing any dramatic emotion. "It was because of you that the raiders came, but it was also because of you that half of Hidou's army died, saving thousands of innocent people. It was because of you that he is angry, and it will be because of you that he is defeated."

Taichi grunted, bending down to pick up his sword. He gripped it tightly in his hand, letting Koushirou's words sink into his mind. Slowly, they started to replace the looks of fear on his villager's faces. His encouragement made the image of his scared, shaking sister go away. It even eased his guilt about abandoning the brunette girl who was being taken. It made him feel better about everything. If Koushirou knew what had happened to him, perhaps he knew _something_ about the future. Perhaps he would really defeat Hidou. He _had_ to. Hell, he would tear the evil emperor to shreds for what he did.

"So." Taichi whispered, his voice barely leaving his lips. "What do I do?"

Koushirou smirked again, letting the same look of accomplishment shine through. "You go to Wa Se," he said, "but first, you must do many things."

"And what are those?" Taichi asked, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he was gripping his weapon.

"First," the red-head started, "you must be trained by the master Gennai."

"And where is he?" Taichi asked.

Koushirou mumbled, "I'm not sure."

"Then how am I supposed to be trained by him?!" The warrior exclaimed.

"Patience." The red-head responded. "He will come to you when he is ready."

Taichi fought the urge to roll his eyes. He'd had enough talk about patience. "What else?"

"You must visit the King in his castle on the way to Wa Se." Koushirou continued. "It has been terribly over-run by the empire as you probably know- the crown is merely a puppet. In order to have any chance of taking back the great city of Wa Se, we must have the capitol back on our side."

"Alright, sounds easy enough." The brunette fought the urge to roll his eyes again. It was a bit easier though as the weight of what he needed to do started to dawn on him. "Is that it?"

"You will find more challenges on your way," the stranger went on, "but it is nothing that you can't defeat. You must fight with everything you have, young warrior. I know you want to save your sister, but there is more to your plight than that. It is my belief that you are the warrior the world has been waiting for. You are destined to save everyone. The weight of the universe is on your shoulders, and you _must_ be ready."

Taichi blinked, the seriousness of Koushirou's words not exactly settling in. "You want me to stop this entire war?" He asked, clear disbelief written across his face. "You want me to stop the war between ourselves and the empire? The one that's been going on for years? The one that's slaughtered thousands upon thousands of good warriors? You expect one man to stop _that?_"

"Oh, you will have help, that is true." Koushirou smirked again. "But like I said, nothing is impossible. Not for you."

"How do you know that?" Taichi asked.

"I told you," Koushirou answered. "I know many things. Now weren't you the one who was saying you were running out of time? If you ask me, you'd best get going."

Taichi looked at the mysterious man, a look of complete bewilderment across his face. His jaw was dropped slightly, like he was trying to figure out what to say. If the brunette wasn't so intrigued, he would have said Koushirou was trying to lead him into a trap. Stop the war? Yeah, right. He could get his sister back, but he couldn't stop the entire empire. Not by himself.

"Go, warrior." Koushirou said again once he noticed the boy wasn't moving. "The sun is nearly up, and you and I both know it's best to not be in the forest at dawn."

Taichi grunted, trying to find some excuse to stay, some excuse to ask the red-head more questions. Although he was secretive and mysterious, his eyes were full of wisdom, and his voice was knowledgable. "Alright," the boy started, beginning to turn on his heels, "but how do I know I can trust you?"

"Do you have any other choice?"

Taichi bit his lip. He didn't. This was the only lead he had, and if he wanted to have any hope of finding his sister, he needed to go. He was off to the Capitol, then to Wa Se, and hopefully on the way he'd find someone named Gennai, and anyone else who could offer him some help. The warrior put his sword back into its holster across his waist as he turned around and started to walk away. His mind was busy running with questions, but what Koushirou said was true: he didn't have much time, and no one wanted to be in the forest at dawn.

Koushirou smirked as he watched Taichi's figure get dimmer and dimmer as he became farther away. He stood where he was until the boy was completely out of sight, masked by the shadows of the forest. "Mm." He muttered, shutting his eyes. He had the utmost faith in Taichi, but he knew he'd need lots of help, and lots of luck.

"Do you really think he can pull this off?"

"Ah," Koushirou said, turning around to face where the new voice was coming from. He didn't seem surprised although the voice seemed to have come from nowhere, "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

A cloaked figure rose slowly from a squatting position off the ground, a long bow in his hand. It seemed like he'd jumped down from one of the tall trees, which would have taken incredible skill. "Well I'm here now, so do you?"

The red-head leaned back against a tree, trying to take some of the weight off his feet. "I do," he began, pausing to think, "but what I said about him needing help is true. You should follow him."

"Follow him?" The figure questioned. "And what is the need for that?"

To that question, Koushirou smirked again. "Even heroes need a savior every once in awhile, wouldn't you say?"

The cloaked figure grimaced a bit before silently taking off into the forest after the warrior, a horrid memory now fresh in his head as he seemed to fly with incredible speed.

X

Taichi moved quickly through the woods, unaware of who was following him, fresh questions popping into his head that he wished he'd asked Koushriou. However, there was no time to go back. Not only was his sister probably hundreds of miles away in Wa Se, but the sun was coming up, and all kinds of unpleasant beings woke up in the forest at sunrise. His journey would end before it even began if he was caught there. As he ran, his mind was busy processing everything that had just gone on. So he needed to go to Wa Se. How was he going to get there? It would take weeks to walk the distance, and it would be difficult to find help. More importantly, it would be difficult to _get into_ the city. Wa Se had been taken over by the empire months ago, and it had grown into a breeding ground for evil beings and no-good warriors. The thought of his little sister there made him sick. He needed to get her out as quickly as possible. But apparently, before he could do that, he'd need to take back the capitol. Hidou and his army had recently broken into the castle and taken the royal family hostage- Taichi knew that. The evil emperor had done it just before coming to his village and setting it ablaze. The status of the royal family, and everyone else in the great Capitol city, was currently unknown, but the brunette knew it couldn't be good. He supposed he'd find out in a short amount of time, but how was he going to prepare if he didn't know what to expect? Ever since Hidou's men began guarding the walls around the city, no word had gotten in or out.

And, how was Taichi supposed to get trained by this 'Gennai'? Was he supposed to wait around for him to pop up at his own convenience? Was he supposed to begin traveling and hope to be trained before he ran into too much danger? What could this guy even show him? Taichi was a master swordsman, after all. What could he possibly be taught that he didn't already know? And how did Gennai know he had to find him? Perhaps he had no idea, and Taichi would be waiting around for nothing.

All these questions spiraled through Taichi's brain and made him dizzy. He wanted more than anything to lay down and sleep, to wake up in a few hours and realize that everything that'd happened had been some awful dream. However, he knew that no such thing would ever happen, and the sun was now glistening over the horizon. The end of the forest was in sight, so Taichi hurried on.

X

Hikari sat silently in the back of the carriage, tears of fear slowly dripping down her face and off her chin, wetting her shirt. She wasn't sure how long she'd been traveling for- no one bothered to tell her the time- but she knew she was very, very far from home. There were no windows in her moving prison, only the bumps on the road told her she was still being moved. Without her consent, an audible sob left the girls lips, causing one of the men outside to yell something harsh at her, making her quiet once more. It was hard to believe that merely hours ago, the young girl was getting tucked into bed by her parents, expecting to wake up to a warm breakfast the next morning. She'd never dreamed that she'd be taken hostage by Hidou and his army. She'd never dreamed that he'd kill her parents. She never dreamed that they'd hunt her older brother down to his home, causing mass destruction, chaos, and death. Hikari tried not to remember, but it was hard to forget the dead bodies that layered the streets as she was carried away by one of Hidou's soldiers. _"You're a Yagami!"_ She remembered he'd said, a look of evil achievement written across his face. Without another word, the large man had thrown the trembling girl over his shoulder and ran off with her. How he knew who she was, Hikari had no idea. People always told her that she resembled Taichi, so that was probably it.

In the midst of all her thinking, Hikari hadn't noticed that the bumps in the road had stopped. In fact, she'd stopped moving altogether. She only realized what was going on once the carriage doors were thrown open and two soldiers came in for her.

"Come on, girl," one of them barked, no sign of patience in his voice, "get up!"

Shaking, Hikari tried to get to her feet.

"Come on!" The other soldier exclaimed, the same rough tone to his voice, "We don't have all day!"

The young girl let out a small squeal as he reached forward and took a patch of her hair in his hand, yanking her up. "Get up you blasted child! There are people waiting to meet you.."

The cruel accent of the guards voice made Hikari tremble. She yelped as she was yanked forward and pushed out of her small prison, completely unsure of what was going to happen next. They wouldn't kill her, would they? They couldn't! She was only a child! Then again, the night before, Hikari had watched Hidou's entire army murder small children in cold blood. There was no question about whether they would spare a 13 year old simply because of her age. She'd be killed before she could even think.

More tears dripped down Hikari's cheeks even though she tried to hold them in. She knew Taichi would want her to be brave, but it was so hard. She had no idea how long it had been since she'd left home, and she had no idea where she was. As she looked around, she realized she was in some sort of city, but it didn't look like the glorious cities her brother told her stories about. It was damp and dark and filled with rotten-looking people. As the young girl was pushed towards a large building, she caught the eye of an older man who was wrinkled and missing many teeth. He flashed a perverted smile at her, sending shivers down her spine. How badly she wanted her older brother to come and save her, but he was dead for all she knew. He never did come back to get her... Hikari shuddered at the thought, but if that was true, she was the last remaining Yagami, and there was no doubt that Hidou would have her killed out of revenge. He'd want to end Taichi's family line. There would be no more Yagamis left, not a single one.

Hikari was led through the halls of the large building, which she made out to be a prison. There were inmates on both sides of her as she was pushed and pulled along, kicking and crying the whole time.

"Get in," one of the men grunted at her as he yanked open a door, "Don't get too comfortable though, Hidou will come for you soon."

The young girl didn't even have time to ask questions before she was pushed into the dark cell. She stumbled forward as the door was slammed and locked behind her. Hidou was coming. He was going to kill her! Why else would he pay mind to a simple child? The girl moved over to the darkest corner, shaking, and sat herself down on the ground. If only Taichi was there to protect her, nothing would go wrong...

"Who are you?" A voice came from the other side of the cell. It surprised Hikari and yanked another yelp out of her throat. She pushed herself up further against the wall, scared of everything.

"Don't be scared." The voice spoke again. It was soft and supportive, trying to calm the girl down.

"W-who's there?" Hikari stuttered, her cheeks now red and raw.

"Me," the voice responded, as if the youngest Yagami was supposed to know who it was. Slowly, a thing figure emerged from the shadows. It didn't look threatening at all, but Hikari was still unsure. As it got closer to her though, Hikari could make it out to be a girl, a girl who was still young. She was quite pretty, and had long brown hair that curled slightly around her lower back, "my name's Mimi, what's yours?"

The child coughed a bit before answering. "M-my name's Hikari. P-please, where am I? I want to go home!"

"I know," Mimi responded, squatting down in front of the girl, "I do too. I don't know where we are, but I think we were taken from the same place. If you don't mind me asking, is your last name Yagami?"

At that, Hikari jumped a bit. How did this girl know her last name? She was curious now. Perhaps she knew something about her brother! "I-I am.. Hikari Yagami, Taichi's younger sister. Please! Do you know where he is?"

"Taichi..." Mimi furrowed her brow. Hikari couldn't tell whether she was annoyed or simply thinking. "I did see him... he was running..." The girl paused again, her eyes now narrowed. "I called out for help and he ran away from me."

Hikari faltered a bit. Her brother, running away from someone in need? That didn't sound like him at all. "I think you saw a different person.." she whispered, dropping her eyes to the ground.

"Ah, well," Mimi made her tone softer again. She didn't want to upset the younger girl anymore, "let's talk about something else, shall we? How did you end up here?"

Hikari hiccuped a bit as another sob escaped her mouth. "U-um, I was waiting... waiting for Taichi. He told me to wait in an alleyway while he went back to our house.. but when I was waiting, the raiders took me away, and Taichi never came back..."

Suddenly, a look of realization dawned across Mimi's face. Perhaps that was why Taichi had hurried away from her. He wasn't being an anti-hero, he was simply trying to save someone else. However, Mimi didn't want to bring up such a sensitive subject- she didn't even know the young girl. "Well, I'm sure he's looking for you now." She replied, a reassuring look on her face. "It sounds like he cares about you a lot."

"But how will he find me?" Hikari asked, "I don't even know where I am."

"He'll find a way." Mimi replied, sitting down completely in front of the girl. She let out a small sigh before speaking again. "Someone's looking for me, too. Maybe they'll look together."

"Really?" Hikari asked, a small gleam of hope appearing in her eyes. "Who is it?"

"My fiancee." The older girl replied, a light smile on her lips. It seemed like the thought of him made her happy, even in such terrible times.

"You're engaged?!" Hikari exclaimed, the news causing her to forget about her current situation, at least for a moment. A few seconds later, she realized how strange her reaction had been, so she shrunk back into her shell and quieted her voice again. "To who?"

Mimi smiled. "It's supposed to be a secret, but I guess it doesn't really matter now.. I'm supposed to marry Prince Yamato."

"The prince?!" Hikari couldn't restrain her voice now. "You're going to be a princess?!"

"Mhmm!" Mimi replied, her smile only getting larger. As Hikari watched her joy, she couldn't help but be a bit envious. She seemed so hopeful, so sure that she would be found. "Yamato and I met when we were very young. You see, my parents were nobles in the village. It was decided that we should marry when I was only a child. I know most people wouldn't like their marriages arranged, but Yamato and I get along quite well."

Hikari stared up at the girl in awe. She was in the presence of the girl who would grow up to be queen. Yamato was the heir to the throne- well- so long as Hidou didn't completely take it over by the time she grew up. "Why was that supposed to be a secret?" Hikari asked, unknowingly scooting closer and closer to the older girl. She seemed to give off an aura of comfort and understanding.

"It was supposed to be a secret so _this_ didn't happen." Mimi motioned to the room around them. "We knew Hidou would come for me if he knew that I was supposed to marry Yamato, but it seems like he found out, doesn't it?"

Hikari nodded. She didn't really know what else she was supposed to say now. She was sure she would have thought of something, but the sound of heavy footsteps made her mouth snap shut. "Who's coming?" She whimpered, fear growing inside her again.

"I don't know.." Mimi muttered, narrowing her eyes, trying to keep a brave face on. The footsteps were getting louder, and as they increased in sound, they seemed to be getting rougher, more angry, more violent as they pounded against the cold stone floor.

"Yagami!" The figure shouted, stopping in front of the young girl's cell. He peered in and let out a wicked laugh once he saw the girl curled up in the corner. "Oh, look how precious. Are you scared?"

Hikari didn't answer, Mimi continued to glare. "Leave her alone!" The older girl shouted.

"Stop faking bravery." The man barked. "It'll be your turn to visit Hidou soon." Although his face was still hidden, Mimi could feel him staring at her, his eyes wandering her body. A cold chill of disgust went down her spine. "Let's go, Yagami."

The figure, who turned out to be a guard, unlocked the cell door and pulled it open, stepping in only to yank Hikari out. "Hidou doesn't have much patience, don't test him."

The young girl looked back at Mimi as she was pulled away, trying her best to imitate her new friends look of bravery. She could be strong. Taichi would want her to be.

X

Wow, so for anyone who has bothered to remember this story, I'm SO sorry it took me so long to update it. -Insert desperate excuse here-. I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways. I didn't get to add in everything I wanted to because of length, but many more characters will be introduced in the next chapter! As always, please review and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

surflilu.


	3. Chapter 3

Taichi moved swiftly through the woods, trying to get as much ground covered before the sun came up. He'd spent his day resting on the outskirts, careful to stay out of sight. The young warrior had no idea who he could trust anymore. He'd heard rumors before that Emperor Hidou had men hiding among commoners, listening and searching for people who planned to rebel against him. A few weeks ago, Taichi would have laughed at the prospect of him getting hurt. Now it was an all-too painful reality.

As the boy walked along he began to notice a light in the distance. It started off as a small flicker, something that could have been a trick his eyes were playing on him. Eventually though, it grew bigger and it lit up the sky in ember-orange. The spot where it was coming from radiated smoke. Fire. It was fire. Taichi wasn't alone in the woods, but he wasn't about to sit back and let whatever was out there find him first.

He quieted his steps and started to move swiftly, his right hand wrapped around the handle of his sword that was still in his holster. Taichi also controlled his breathing, only allowing a heavy inhale once his lungs felt like they'd implode from lack of oxygen. Everything could be heard out here, even the sound of the smallest cricket chirping under the leaves. The light was bright now, and the smoke thicker. The fire was right beyond a layer of bushes.

Taichi walked up to it and put his hands on the brush to push it aside, peering through. He held his breath, prepared to see an evil army sent out for him. After all, only Hidou's men would be dumb enough to light a noticeable fire in the middle of the woods at night. Or... a single man would be. What? Taichi narrowed his eyes and focused in on the single figure that sat next to the fire, his back leaned up against a tree as he held his hands over the flames for warmth. Who was that? Taichi continued to watch.

The stranger had blonde hair. It was a bit on the longer side, but it was his most noticeable feature besides his blue eyes. They penetrated through the darkness of the night, giving Taichi a chill. The blue irises darted back and forth, analyzing everything around him, noticing every change. Taichi exhaled. They fell on him.

Instantly, his chest froze and his heart sped up, making him feel like he was about to be sick. He couldn't move. Perhaps the stranger would just think an animal had rustled the bush, or a gust of wind had gone by. That would be logical. Still though, his eyes. They had an icy stare, and it was locked straight on him.

The blonde stood up, and Taichi gripped his sword. He closed his hands a bit, making the hole in the brush he was peering through smaller. To be honest, he wanted to leave. He had no time to be confronting strangers when his sister was in danger. But at the same time, he couldn't move. The blondes icy stare had frozen him, and he was trapped. They would meet. It was what would happen after that that worried the warrior.

And Taichi had an ego. He couldn't be the one that was found. He had to be the surprise. He wouldn't look like he was hiding, scared. Once the blonde was close enough, once his footsteps were loud enough, and once his heavy breathing put Taichi's hairs on end, he stood from the brush and pulled out his sword.

"Who are you?" Taichi asked, glaring at the stranger.

In response, the blonde pulled out his own weapons. He reached one hand over his shoulder and one towards his lower back, pulling out two curved swords. They were shorter than Taichi's single weapon, but the blades still looked sharp. Alright, so he hadn't expected that. Still though, the brunette could take this guy. Although he seemed to be a bit taller than him, he was skinny and his hands shook even though he tried to come off as confident.

"I didn't say to take out your weapons." Taichi growled. "I asked you your name."

"Why's it matter?" The blonde asked, his gaze still cold. He stopped about ten feet away from the warrior and held his ground. "Who are you?"

Taichi raised a brow. "I asked you first."

"You came to me." The blonde retorted, wasting no time.

"Not like you were trying to hide." Taichi spat. "Making a fire in the forest, you're a real expert on staying hidden."

The stranger remained silent, his cold gaze faltering for a second. "If you're with Hidou, you might want to get out of here. If you take one step closer I'll kill you before you even know what's happening." His stare became icy again.

Hidou? The blonde thought he was with Hidou? Taichi didn't know what to make of that. What an insult! Was this kid that stupid? He held his sword tight, but asked the same question. "What makes you think I'm with Hidou? That'd be an insult. It's you who should be with Hidou. You've got the clothes to prove it."

The blonde glanced down at himself for a moment, not letting himself take too much attention off the warrior. It was true- he did look quite shady. However, it was his goal to remain in the shadows, so his black outfit suited him well. He had thick boots on, and fitted black pants. He wore thin, dark armor over his chest, a shield that would protect him from a simple attack.

"I'm not with Hidou." He said through clenched teeth. "How dare you think that."

"Why would I assume anything else?" Taichi asked. "You're out here by yourself in the woods, obviously up to no good."

The blonde eyed him. "I could say the same for you."

"I-" Okay, the stranger had him there. He shot him a glare. "Well I'm not up to no good! For your information, I'm-"

"HEY!"

Taichi and the blonde stopped arguing and faced the direction the strange voice had just come from, both of them ready to fight off whatever was coming towards them. Only one man had shouted out at them, but as the source of the noise became clearer, both boys could see that ten men were approaching them from the shadows of the woods.

"Shit." Taichi muttered. "Good going, blondie, you got us caught."

The blonde scowled. "Hey, I was fine until you came around making trouble!"

"Trouble?!" Taichi exclaimed, but he had no time to say anything else. The men were nearing them, encircling them, trapping them.

"Look what we have here!" One of them laughed, pulling his sword from the holder on his waist. "Two of our prey in one spot! Haven't we lucked out?"

The other men snarled, laughing like hyenas as they closed the circle around them. Taichi and the blonde had backed up into each other so their shoulders were touching, both of their weapons held out.

"Two?" Taichi said under his breath so only the blonde could hear him. "They're after you?!"

The blonde turned his head, eyes wide. "They're after _you_?!"

The men continued to laugh.

"What do you think?" Their leader asked, eyeing the two boys carefully. "Would Hidou want them brought to him, or killed on the spot?"

"Killed on the spot!" One of the other men shouted, much to Taichi's displeasure.

"Kill them!" Another one barked.

The leader smiled sadistically. "I'd like to make them suffer. Don't you think Hidou would like it if we brought him the crushed souls of both Prince Yamato and Yagami Taichi, the boy who killed half his army?"

"Eh..?" Taichi turned his head slightly so he could speak to the blonde in a quieter voice. "Prince Yamato?!" He whispered harshly. "You're the prince?!"

"Don't get too excited." Yamato said bluntly, gripping his weapons tighter.

Taichi scowled and instantly raised his defenses towards the boy again, not happy with his answer. "I'm not. I didn't know princes could fight."

"I didn't know commoners couldn't recognize their superiors."

Oh, Taichi had a million words to say to that. He opened his mouth and let out a disgusted noise, but that was all he had time for before the first couple of men came charging. They yelled ferociously as they came at him, but Taichi was able to knock off the first two easily. They were much too hasty to hurt him, and they had a right to be. After all, Taichi _was_ the warrior who'd killed half the evil army. But what did they want with 'Prince' Yamato?

"Eh, take _that!_" Another fighter shouted, running at Taichi with his sword. The brunette used his weapon to push the evil man's sword to the side before swiftly stabbing him. He fell. Three down, seven to go. Or rather... four to go. Taichi glanced over at Yamato and found that he was holding his own. He was fighting off two of Hidou's henchmen and had three others laying at his feet, dead. Okay, so pretty boy could handle his double-swords. Taichi still wasn't impressed. He was clearly the superior warrior and- shit, another fighter was running straight at him.

Taichi stepped to the side and let the man run past him, waiting for him to turn around so he could slice him. Four down. He looked back towards Yamato and found that he was facing the last of the small army- but wait... where had their leader gone?

Taichi spun around, his chest freezing once he realized he'd lost sight of the leader, the most powerful fighter. The spot where he was standing before was empty. Nothing could be heard over the sounds of Yamato fighting his opponent. Taichi wanted to scream at him to be quiet so he could listen, but the words wouldn't come to him. His journey couldn't end here. He had to find his sister. He spun around once more, his eyes narrowed and his sword held tightly in his hand.

And then, out of the corner of his right eye, Taichi saw something glistening. It hadn't been there before. Startled, he turned to see what it was, but just as he did, a small sword sliced his hand, causing him to drop his weapon to the ground.

"Shit!" The warrior exclaimed, wrapping his free hand around his bloody one. The back of it oozed blood, so much so that it was coming through his clenched fingers. Where the hell did that sword come from? Someone had thrown it, and that someone was now walking towards the injured boy with a cruel look on his face. He was smiling madly, and his eyes were wild with the want to kill.

"Not so brave now, are you boy?" The man asked, gripping another small sword. Taichi backed up, not sure what to do. He figured his opponents specialty was sword throwing, something that would be dangerous if he bent down to pick up his weapon. Unwillingly, he found himself backing up, trying to find a way to escape. He could leave his sword for now, but trying to pick up his weapon wasn't worth the risk.

"Hey, hey, hold on a second.." Taichi said nervously, raising his hands up. He glanced sideways at Yamato, who still looked busy fighting off the last-standing fighter. The blonde hadn't even noticed he was in trouble. Great. "I think we got off on the wrong foot.." A drop of sweat dripped down his neck.

"The wrong foot?" The leader asked, stunned that the young warrior would say something so ridiculous. "If you call the wrong foot killing half my men, you'd be right. I've had it out for you Yagami, and now I've finally got you."

The man smiled deviously, flashing his crooked teeth. He raised his small sword into the air, eyeing the boy as if trying to decide whether to hit him in the head or the heart. Wherever he aimed, Taichi knew it'd be precise. He gulped. Damnit. "Say goodbye, Yagami."

Taichi took one final inhale, trying to plan some last-second escape plan in his head, but nothing came to him. He could turn and run, but then the man would get his back, likely paralyzing him. He could go for his weapon, but he'd just become an easier shot. He could try another stupid make-up line, but then he supposed his death would just be drawn out and painful. Damnit. Damnit! He'd failed Hikari, and he'd barely even gotten started.

The man pulled his hand behind his head, ready to throw his weapon. Taichi shut his eyes tight, trying not to imagine the pain he was about to feel. God damn knive throwers, why were they so quick? Or rather... why had nothing happened yet?

Taichi opened his eyes just in time to hear the leader scream out in pain. He dropped his knife to the ground and fell shorty after it hit the cold dirt. The warrior looked at him quizzically- what'd just happened?!

The man cried out as he pulled an arrow from his chest, blood spewing everywhere, causing his death. An arrow- where in the world had that come from?! The way it hit his body, it looked like someone shot it from slightly higher up. Was someone in the trees?!

Taichi turned his vision upwards and scanned the dark treetops. It was hard to see, but eventually he made out a cloaked figure standing on one of the bigger branches. He had a bow in his hand and arrows slung over his back. Instantly, Taichi flashed back to when Hidou had him dangling over the side of his house. The same thing had happened then- an arrow had struck his opponent and he was narrowly saved. Was this the same cloaked figure?!

Taichi narrowed his eyes at the man, trying to figure out some clue as to who he could be. "Eh, Yamato!" The boy shouted, turning his vision towards the blonde for a split second. "Do you see- eh?!" He looked back up, but the figure was already gone. Nothing was left. He'd left as quickly as he came.

"See what?!" Yamato yelled back just as his opponent fell to the ground.

Taichi didn't even know what to say. "Er.. nothing.."

"Seeing things?" The blonde asked. "You're not acting delusional, are you? It takes guts to kill a man."

That statement angered Taichi, momentarily distracting him from the person who'd just saved his life. "I know about killing men." He began, prepared to utter the phrase that'd made him famous. "I killed-"

"I know." Yamato cut in, seemingly unimpressed. "Half of Hidou's army." He rolled his eyes.

"Why do you have such a prissy attitude?!" Taichi asked in disbelief. Usually, people were honored to meet him. Why was this boy acting so differently? Taichi didn't give a single shit if he was the prince. That meant he should have been more thankful! Right?! He'd saved his damned kingdom!

"I don't have a prissy attitude." Yamato shot back. "I just know your 'heroic moment' was a complete accident, and you know it too, so why don't you stop talking about it?"

Taichi's eyes widened. His mouth gaped and his skin grew cold. Yamato didn't- no. He couldn't! How would he have known anything?! "Don't be jealous of my skill." Was all he could say, his words shaky. Yamato seemed satisfied.

"Skill?" Yamato asked. "Is your skill what got you that?" He pointed to the injury on his hand. It was still oozing blood, and it didn't look like it was going to get better if it was left unattended. Taichi said nothing. Yamato shook his head and looked back at the boy. His fire was still going, and it looked like he had some clean water. "Sit down." He said, sounding like he thought he would regret the offer.

Taichi really didn't want to, but he didn't have another choice. If he went and wandered around by himself again, he wouldn't be able to use his hand for weeks. That wouldn't be good, considering he held his sword with that hand. He wasn't happy about it, but he obliged. The boy fell down onto the dirt and looked at the water needingly.

"Here." Yamato said simply, tossing him the can. "Don't use it all though. I need it."

"You need it?" Taichi asked, pouring some on his hand and flinching. "For what?"

"I'm traveling."

"Traveling? Where?"

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

Taichi raised a brow at the boy and handed him his water back. He'd forgotten to say thank you, but to be honest, he didn't really care. "Well it'd be good to know what you're doing out here. What's the _prince_, all high and mighty, doing outside his spoiled little castle?"

Yamato glared at him. "You must really be dense if you didn't know that my spoiled little _castle_ was taken over by Hidou."

Taichi bit his lip. Alright, so they had something in common, and now he'd regretted hitting the blonde with someone so sensitive. Taichi's house had been, in a sense, taken over. He'd lost his family. Had Yamato lost his? After all, no one had heard from the royals since the takeover. "I'm looking for my sister." He decided to try, giving Yamato a good opportunity to share something if he needed to, or wanted to. Perhaps if he offered up the first piece of information the prince would trust him.

Yamato eyed him suspiciously and took a drink of water. A droplet dripped down his chin and he wiped it away. "Your sister?" He asked. "How convenient. I'm looking for my brother."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry this chapter took so long to post, and sorry it's a bit on the shorter side! I thought here would be a good place to end for now. As always, thank you SO much for reading! Any reviews would be appreciated. They're awful motivating. <strong>

**-surflilu  
><strong>


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